BHUBANESWAR: The Congress on Wednesday accused the state government of neglecting the tribals, which resulted in the recent starvation death of one Nisha Mankidia of the Mankidia community, in Sukinda area of Jajpur district.
Addressing mediapersons, chief whip of Congress Legislature Party Ashok Das said as per the fact-finding committee of the party which visited the area after the incident, Nisha was not receiving rice under any welfare scheme and had no dwelling unit of his own. He resided under a polythene sheet and died after falling sick recently.
“During the UPA rule at the Centre, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) had been launched to prevent starvation deaths and it became successful. But now the BJP-led Centre has slashed funds to the MGNREGS without making any alternative arrangements for protecting the lives of the poor,” Das said.
The Congress leader further remarked that though the state has a tribal chief minister at present, the government has become indifferent to food and social security of the tribal people.
“The state government has failed to ensure that benefits of various welfare schemes reach the needy people,” he alleged.
President of the Jajpur district Congress Maguni Jena alleged that though people belonging to the Mankidia tribe have been living in Sukinda area for several decades, they have no land in their name. “Though there is a special section in the SC and ST Development department for development of Mankidia tribal community, the state government is neglecting them,” he added.
